Sunday, 9 November 2014

Birds and blog posts are clearly like buses. I was searching for Rough-legged Buzzards today - it is not a common bird in Lothian with only about 25 records - but there has been a bit of an invasion into the UK this winter so far so it seemed a good idea. After a couple of hours in the Moorfoots and Lammermuirs I was beginning to doubt my decision. While I had seen some good birds (3 Black Grouse, 21 Golden Plover, 1 Whooper Swan) they were few and far between and the moors seemed to be fairly devoid of life. As it happens I was sitting in the very layby from which I saw a Rough-legged Buzzard in May - and once again I saw one flying along the same line of pylons interacting with a couple of Common Buzzards - and I drove the same 2 miles along the road to intercept it - this time not quite so clinically. It all felt like deja vu - although in an exciting adrenaline fueled way!

The Rough-legged Buzzard did not hang around for long and was soon lost in the distance. I decided to move to another spot and walk in to try to see it again. En route I noticed it back nearer the initial point. A little confused by its behaviour I worked my way back to a suitable viewing area and slowly walked in through the heather.

The Rough-legged Buzzard obliged by appearing over a nearby ridge and then working its way towards me. I sat in the heather the bird come over apparently to investigate me. Unperturbed it swept over me a few times and then hovered in the updraft. Unbelievably awesome views!

As if it couldn't get better a second bird suddenly appeared - and this made sense of the bird's inexplicable movements earlier. The two, both juvs, hunted side by side and sparred in mid air, much to my delight. Siblings from the same nest perhaps...

Saturday, 8 November 2014

I feel fortunate that my teaching job takes me to interesting parts of the world every year or so. This autumn I spent two weeks in Toronto, Rochester and NYC. It was not a birding trip, but like most birders I maximised the free time... Highlights were a few hours at Braddock Bay Bird Observatory coinciding with one of their busiest catches of the season, several walks along the Pittsford Loop Trail (turned out to be a great adopted patch for a week in Rochester) and a day of birding in Central Park, NYC, which included joining one of Deb Allen's guided walks (this was great as I hadn't explored the North end of the park before). I have a real soft spot for birding in the North America - something to do with 30 years of drooling over the plates in the National Geographic guide and hoping to someday find a vagrant this side of the Atlantic. Although I've never managed a proper birding trip on the other side of the pond I've seen almost 300 species there ... including 10 additions on this trip. All pics taken with a CanonSX50 - can't always lug my 100-400 around when in the company of 'normal' folk!

New World Warblers - who doesn't love em?

Yellow rumps were everywhere - the only species I really expected to see. Totally underestimated how many species would be about: managed to also find Tennessee, Nashville, parula, magnolia, black-throated blue, black-throated green, palm (east & west), blackpoll, black & white, american redstart, ovenbird, Wilson's, yellowthroat

B&W in Central Park

Ovenbird in Madison Square Park

Blackpoll - only previously seen breeding plumage male so keen to see this plumage had better views than this!

Woodpeckers - always seem so much more abundant in North America

Had six species on Pittsford Loop Trail including plenty of downy woodpeckers

Pileated was new to me - amazing views! Obviously I was more interested in focussing on the twig!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was also a much enjoyed new species - lots seen. This one is a ground level in Madison Square Park.

Yellow-shafted Flicker - evolving into a groundpecker by the looks of things

Sparrow migration was well underway

White-throated Sparrows were everywhere. This one right next to Wegman's supermarket.

White-crowned Sparrow in the same area

Field Sparrow alongside the other two species

Finches - finally connected with Pine Siskin and Purple Finch!

Pine Siskin - a species I duffed in California (but it was only a flyover anyway). So enjoyed jamming into these - think there has been a bit of an invasion since. Gorgeous aren't they...?

Even the American Goldfinches were looking worse for wear...

Thrushes - a nice selection

Eastern Bluebird in upstate New York - these birds are AWESOME

Hermit Thrush in the hand at Braddock Bay - already seen this species on Fair Isle this year on another school trip (jammy eh?)

A very obliging Swainson's Thrush in Central Park that I decided to take a very bad picture of for some reason...

A Wood Thrush in Central Park - only my second sighting ever I think...

This one is a Gray-cheeked Thrush - nice one!

Icterids - some of these are stunning close up

Common Grackle in Central Park. No pic but did manage to see my first Rusty Blackbird on Pittsford Loop Trail - tick!

Red-winged Blackbird on Erie Canal Trail

Other bits and bobs...

Lots of Blue Jays around - on some days a steady trickle moving S overhead

Non breeding male Scarlet Tanager - was pleased to find this one in Central Park - don't think I've seen this plumage before... so difficult to remember some stuff before digital cam (I'm very poor at field notes...

Finally as a treat for anyone who has scrolled this far - my best shot of the trip - incoming Cedar Waxwing. An easy bird to see in the states it seems...

Friday, 4 July 2014

Another self-found Two-barred Crossbill - this time in Lothian - not quite as exciting as earlier in the year as this was simply a case of doubling the number of 2barXbills in a flock from 1 to 2 (eventually others recorded 7!)

After an amazing May birding in Lothian this year, I was expecting June to be a disappointment.Well, it turns out that I needn't have worried - June was another stunner. Greenish Warbler and Two-barred Crossbills, Long-eared and Short-eared Owls,

Here she is again, on the right, along with a male and female Common Crossbill

And here is the male drinking from the Hedderwick Burn

Ok, probably not the best shot, but gives an idea...

Greenish Warbler was the other outstanding bird at the site on the same day

Singing away - a song I had never heard before - and one that I could easily have overlooked

Long-eared Owls were the highlight of the month for me, culminating in watching this adult hunting under streetlights in Edinburgh

I found 5 broods of young in total, some younger than this

And some barely distinguishable from adults - the constant begging helps, of course

I bumped into two Short-eared Owls this month as well... don't think they bumped into each other though...

This Red Kite (a 2CY bird?) was a county tick for me - sadly it only has one leg (just a stump on the left) - is it a coincidence that it is in a grouse moor area with lots of mammal traps?

This month I saw more Whinchats than I have seen in Lothian before - the result of exploring upland areas I have not visited before

It only seems a few weeks since the Common Sandpipers arrived in the uplands, but there are almost full grown young already - this one scuttling next to the road

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

The first dark morph Montagu's Harrier in Scotland - my best find since moving to Lothian in 1994

Well it looks like May 2014
provided some of my best birding ever - and that's after about 40 years
of birding to choose from! Here are some of the highlights... Pictures mainly from inland and upland Lothian and Fair Isle...

Rough-legged Buzzard - found while trying to re-locate the Monties!

Male Quail at Aberlady Bay - another find and my first ever view of the species rather than 'heard only record'

One of the highlights of the Fair Isle - awesome male 'Caspian' Siberian Stonechat

Re-finding the Hermit Thrush very early on its second day

Western Subalpine Warbler - another British tick for me on Fair Isle - took several days and a cat to locate it!

Fast declining even on Fair Isle - the Arctic Skua

Twite - even closer views in the hand for the whole group

Puffins a highlight of the Northern Isles trip for most of the group

A twitch for Avocets at Musselburgh was interrupted by this hunting Peregrine

Black Grouse were splendidly showy this month

A southern Golden Plover is presumably a local breeder

A brood of Red Grouse provided entertainment in the Lammermuirs

Although this Lapwing was far more cute

This Stoat killed a Rabbit right in front of me

Plenty of views of Redpolls - Common Redpolls in the Northern Isles and Lesser Redpolls like this one in Lothian

And, finally, gulls - my best hybrid candidate at Musselburgh - although it could be a pure LBBG (watch this space?)